Military contractors indicted for stealing medical equipment

Said to have stolen and resold more than $3 million of equipment

Henry Bonilla, Richard Navarro, and Michael Tuisee, employees of a medical logistics operation at Camp Pendleton, were arraigned today (Jan. 31) on charges of stealing more than $3 million of expensive medical equipment, transporting it to Southern California locations, and selling it to medical equipment resellers. Each defendant faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

There were new developments in other cases handled by the U.S. Attorney's office. Dr. Irving Schwartz and Jose Melendez, owner of an Oceanside medical supply operation, pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare of more than $1 million in wheelchair scams. They had been charged in July. Unico, Inc., admitted that its former chief executive, Mark Anthony Lopez, made a false statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission. As part of a negotiated settlement, a monitor will have the power to approve or veto business and financial decisions of the company. In return, the U.S. Attorney's office will postpone its prosecution of the company for other charges including some related to securities fraud.

Comments

Say what? Pleaded guilty to defrauding Medicare of more than $1 million and prosecution for securities fraud postponed?

And the US Attorney's office is hunting down people for selling a gram of pot, but with these sleazeballs it's "a monitor will...approve or veto business decisions"? That is punishment? That is what passes for justice these days? What an unbelievable disgrace.